Getting Back Up

When I was a kid I loved riding my bike in our neighborhood. We lived in a circle/cul-de-sac and it was perfect for riding bikes since there was hardly any traffic coming through. I remember when I first learned to ride my two-wheeled bike, I felt like I had such freedom, like I could go anywhere or do anything that I pleased. This was way better than riding a “big wheel”. Even though I only rode around in our tiny circle it still felt like I was on an adventure every day. I remember one day I was testing myself to see how fast I could get from one end of the circle and back by going along the sidewalk. I was doing was going pretty fast but wanted to go faster, and no I did not wear a helmet… bad idea. I set my feet in the perfect starting position, gave a strong push down the driveway so gravity could boost my initial burst of speed, made a quick left onto the sidewalk and was off. I remember the feeling wind in my hair as I passed the houses and I thought that I would never slow down. I reached the house at the opposite end of the circle and steered myself into their driveway for a quick turn around. As I entered the driveway I noticed a parked trailer standing right in the direction I was headed, I panicked, and instead of hitting my breaks (you have to remember I was still a novice) I held my hand out in front of me to stop…

I woke up in my bed not knowing how I got there or how long I was out. I was banged up pretty bad, not bad enough to be taken to the hospital but still pretty bad. I remember lying there in my bed wondering if I would ever be able to ride my bike again, or even if I would ever want to ride again. What was even worse was that I was embarrassed. I wasn’t the only kid outside when it happened. Did my friends see me? Are they laughing at me? Will I ever be able to show my face outside again? I was unsure of so much, but I didn’t let it stop me. The next day I was back on my bike riding with my friends, and to my surprise my friends were more concerned about my well being than I thought they would be. I am glad I got back up and kept riding.

When we fall in life there are several ways we can go. We can choose to let a mistake hold us back, we can get embarrassed and decide to cut off communication with the people who care, we can choose to call it quits, or we can choose to get back up and go for it again. Feelings can be overwhelming when we make a mistake that we don’t think we can recover from, but God grants us the grace and mercy to learn from our mistakes and grow as people. Proverbs 24:16 says “For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked are overthrown by calamity”. This week I want to encourage you to keep getting up, no matter how many times you fall and rise again to the challenge God has lain before you! You just might be surprised by the support you get from those around you.